Celebrity of the day

Facts About Asia

2007-04-02T05:06:00.000-07:00

South-East Asia covers an area of about 4,100,000 square kilometres containing the following countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakstan, Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. With outlying islands, it covers an estimated 44,936,000 sq km (17,350,000 sq mi), or about one-third of the world's total land area.

Climates in Asia range from that of the equatorial rain forest to that of the Arctic tundra. For the most part, the northern part of Asia is dominated by movement of polar continental air masses that travel from western Siberia to the northern Pacific.

Asia is rich in natural resources, such as petroleum and iron. High productivity in agriculture, especially of rice, allows high population density of countries in the warm and humid area. Other main agricultural products include wheat and chicken. Forestry is extensive throughout Asia, except in Southwest and Central Asia. Fishing is a major source of food in Asia, particularly in Japan.

Manufacturing in Asia has traditionally been strongest in East and Southeast Asia, particularly in mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The industry varies from manufacturing cheap goods such as toys to high-tech products such as computers and cars. Many companies from Europe, North America, and Japan have significant operations in Asia's developing countries to take advantage of its abundant supply of cheap labour.

One of the major employers in manufacturing in Asia is the textile industry. Much of the world's supply of clothing and footwear now originates in India and Southeast Asia.

Asia has three main financial centres: in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo. The rise of the business process outsourcing industry has seen the rise of India and China as other financial centres.

Asia is home to several language families and many language isolates. Most Asian countries have more than one language that is natively spoken. For instance, according to Ethnologue, more than 600 languages are spoken in Indonesia, more than 415 languages spoken in India, and more than 100 are spoken in the Philippines. China has many languages and dialects in different provinces. Korea, however, is home to only one language, albeit one with high dialectal diversity.

The fauna of Asia is as diverse as the continent's climates, terrain, and vegetation. The northern regions are rich in furbearers, such as the brown bear, otter, lynx, sable, ermine, and wolf, in addition to a vast array of birdlife. The steppe and semiarid regions support antelope and numerous species of burrowing animals such as hare and field mice. Freshwater fish are found in all parts of the continent, and Lake Baykal is notable for its distinctive fauna. Wild sheep and goats are found in the highlands, and Tibet is the home of the wild yak. Wildlife is scarcer in the hot dry regions of Southwest Asia and in parts of South Asia, where the most famous indigenous animal, the Asian lion, is virtually extinct. Jackals and hyenas, however, are common in these regions.

For more information about asia visit Asia Hotels News. Asia Hotels News provide Updated News on Special Rates and Discounted Hotels in Asia. Search for your favourite Hotels in Auckland, Bali, Bangkok, Brisbane and many more!

When Police Are Wrong

2006-12-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

Are police always right? Are police considered angels who help people to arrest criminals and help people to seek justice? Do we still always believe police can ensure law and order, maintain peace, safety and order in our community we live in? Can the police really prevent crime? Can they really protect us? Here are just two cases of different stories involving the police:

Police officers suspected of drug crimes
Issue date: 7/12/06 Source: Daily Vidette

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Six law enforcement officers were indicted Tuesday on charges alleging they tipped off a suspected drug ring about police raids in exchange for drugs.

What began as a "social relationship" between the northern New Jersey officers and their young contemporaries soon spiraled out of control, authorities said.

"The targets lived a high-profile lifestyle: They drove luxury vehicles and they had boats, and they partied with the officers," said Passaic County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jay McCann. "Then it cascaded from there."

The main drugs involved were the powerful painkiller OxyContin and the sleeping pill Ambien.

The officers were arrested within the past 18 months, but the case was made public on Tuesday with the indictments.

Each officer was suspended and faces arraignment in four to six weeks on charges including conspiracy to commit official misconduct; conspiracy to possess narcotics; official misconduct; witness tampering and hindering apprehension.

The indictment also names seven others who were targeted in the drug probe, which included dealing in cocaine, OxyContin and anabolic steroids.

McCann said the case came to light in August 2004 when it became apparent that the targets of an ongoing drug investigation by a county's task force had been tipped off about search and arrest warrants that were about to be executed.

"There were communications intercepted on the wiretaps among the targets of the narcotics investigation that made it clear that it had been compromised," he said.
"There was an intercept in which one person was making arrangements to get narcotics out of his house."

The officers charged were Pompton Lakes officers Dennis DePrima, 30, Robert J. Palianto, 29, and Michael Megna, 34; Ringwood Officer Paul Kleiber, 26; West Paterson Officer Richard Beagin, 26; and Passaic County Sheriff's Officer Gerry Ward, 46, whose current address is in Gastonia, N.C.

It could not immediately be determined if the officers had hired lawyers.

Man confessed to sex crimes he didn't commit
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Source: CBC News

Quebec City police say a man they arrested in 1995 spent five years in jail for crimes he did not commit.

Simon Marshall confessed to a series of sexual assaults but police now say DNA evidence proves he was innocent.

At the time, investigators with the then Ste-Foy police force thought they had the man responsible for more than 30 sexual assaults.

Marshall, who was dubbed the "Ste-Foy rapist," confessed and pleaded guilty. The man, who his lawyer says has "behavioural problems", was convicted and spent five years in jail.

Arrested again after release
In 2003, soon after his release, Marshall was arrested in relation to three more sexual assaults.

He again confessed, but DNA tests cleared him of the crimes. Quebec City police chief Daniel L'Anglais decided to use the same DNA evidence to review Marshall's 1995 conviction.

The Sûreté du Québec was called in to oversee the process in the interest of transparency.

The DNA evidence proved that Marshall had not committed the crimes in question.

"Today I announce that Mr. Marshall is not guilty of those crimes," L'Anglais told reporters Wednesday.

L'Anglais says he doesn't really know how Marshall came to be convicted in the first place. DNA evidence collected in 1995 was never tested.

L'Anglais says the police department is not solely responsible for the error. "We have prosecutors, we have attorneys, we have psychologists, but remember Mr. Marshall said: 'I am guilty.'"

Lawyer thought client was guilty
Even Marshall's lawyer believed his client was guilty. Jorge Amijo represented Marshall when he was sentenced, and says Marshall fit the description provided by the victims.

"It all matched. The height, the weight, the way he acted," Amijo says.

Quebec's Public Security ministry says it will review Marshall's case and take vigorous action if it finds the investigation was mishandled.

As for having Marshall officially and legally cleared of the crimes, that decision would have to be made by a judge.

These are just two cases where the police are not always right. Still recently, we heard of policemen assaulting tourists. Police are known to be righteous people who have the authority to arrest people who commit crimes. But in today's society, police are just earning a living. They are humans who have the genetic inheritance of our ancestors. They are imperfect humans too. Police may misuse their authority any time for their own advantage or other personal needs. They are known to err just like any other ordinary individual.

Since 1995, the Law Offices of Scott T. Kamin have helped people accused of crimes in courts from 2600 S. California to the Dirksen Federal Building, in matters ranging from murder to tiger killing. For Criminal Defense in Chicago call Scott T. Kamin @ Office: (312) 322-0077, Cell: (312) 307-8848, Pager: (312) 963-1487, E-mail: scotttkamin@aol.com If the Police Were Wrong, they sue the police for their brutality, they sue the police for your false arrest and your wrongful conviction.

Celebrity Defined

2006-11-11T08:17:00.000-08:00

A celebrity is a person who is widely recognized (famous) in a society and commands a high degree of public and media attention. The word stems from the Latin celebritas, itself from the adjective celeber meaning 'famous, celebrated'. While fame is generally considered to be the major prerequisite for celebrity status, it is not always sufficient. There has to be a level of public interest in the person which may or may not be connected to the reason they are famous. For example, a public figure such as a politician, industry leader etc. may be famous but not a celebrity unless something else triggers public and mass media interest. Other types of fame, particularly those connected with mass entertainment are almost guaranteed to lead to celebrity even if the person deliberately avoids media attention.

Each nation or cultural community (linguistic, ethnic, religious) has its own largely independent celebrity system, e.g. individuals who are extremely well known in India, might be unknown abroad, except with the Indian diaspora.

Celebrity is relative, depending on geographic scale. A celebrity will be known only by those audiences that are reached by the media in which the celebrity features. In a smaller country, linguistic or cultural community, a figure will be less likely to gain worldwide celebrity. Some celebrities can be considered 'global' - that is, they are known across the world. These will almost all be high-powered religious or political figures, Hollywood actors, globally successful musicians and successful sports stars.

Some professional activities, by the nature of being high-paid, highly exposed, and difficult to get into, automatically confer celebrity. For example, movie stars and television actors are almost invariably celebrities, as are rock stars. High-ranking politicians, television reporters, television show hosts, supermodels, astronauts, major-league athletes and musicians are also celebrities. While rare, a handful of people such as Mother Teresa have even achieved fame because of their humanitarian work.

Some film and theatre directors, producers, artists, authors, trial lawyers and journalists are celebrities, but the vast majority are not, or much less than their real importance in the business. Some people in these professions strive to avoid celebrity, while others seek it.

Any person who is able to get his own television show (or section) will usually become a celebrity: this includes doctors, chefs, gardeners, and interior decorators. However fame based on one program may often prove short-lived after it is discontinued.

Individuals can achieve celebrity, but there are also many celebrity families, such as various royal families (often interest in these will be highest when scandal is involved) and artistic 'dynasties' e.g. The Russell Family and some sports families.

Because celebrities have fame comparable to that of royalty or gods in the past, some people exhibit curiosity about their private affairs as well as resent celebrities for their accolades. There is often a love/hate relationship that the general public has with celebrities. Many express that celebrities don't work as hard as non-celebrities and that celebrities don't deserve to be catered to as they are. Due to the high visibility of celebrities' personal lives, their failures are often made public. Therefore, "celebrities" are usually viewed as exhibiting worse personal behavior and having worse moral values than most people.

Whether this is true or not is questionable, because the exact meaning of the word "celebrity" is difficult to define, not all celebrities exhibit bad behaviour, and, sometimes, the acts that a celebrity does reflect social trends that non-celebrities might also do. A case in point may be the behavior of non-celebrities on Reality television. There seems to a be high increase of celebrity obsession with the vast expansion of celebrity tabloid magazines.

Sometimes the public tries to be like celebrities even if people know they will never be exactly quite like them. This is done through by buying celebrity items, like published books, magazines, clothing lines, perfume, household items, and watching their tv shows and movies. Celebrities in the 21st century know that they must expand and become brands if they want to stay in the public eye. ( MagsDirect.com offers subscriptions for over 1,300 magazines ranging from pets to politics. There is a100% satisfaction guaranteed and the prices are the lowest allowed by publishers for general sale on the internet. )

Some have argued that the notion of celebrity is self-reinforcing and ultimately vacuous: some celebrities are not famous for their accomplishments, but merely famous for their fame and presumed fortune. For example, Paris Hilton would not be a public figure without her wealth, but her family's prominence has created and reinforces her fame. Hilton is in some senses a special case; she is famous at least in part for being an example of the perceived negative or shallow aspects of celebrity life, and some believe she is going out of her way to fill that role and gather further attention. But in many ways, figures like Hilton and other 21st century celebrities are just occupying celebrity niches previously occupied by stars of earlier generations. Others argue that celebrity status is hoisted upon the wrong groups of people and that the status is more deserved by individuals who make a major contribution to society such as scientists, intellectuals, social activists, etc.

All About Appraisals

2006-11-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

Very often, we hear people talking about appraisal especially when it is comes to buying/selling their house. What really is appraisal?

A home purchase is the largest, single investment most people will ever make. Whether it's a primary residence, a second vacation home or an investment, the purchase of real property is a complex financial transaction that requires multiple parties to pull it all off.

Most of the people involved are very familiar. The Realtor is the most common face of the transaction. The mortgage company provides the financial capital necessary to fund the transaction. The title company ensures that all aspects of the transaction are completed and that a clear title passes from the seller to the buyer.

So who makes sure the value of the property is in line with the amount being paid? There are too many people exposed in the real estate process to let such a transaction proceed without ensuring that the value of the property is commensurate with the amount being paid.

This is where the appraisal comes in. An appraisal is an unbiased estimate of what a buyer might expect to pay - or a seller receives - for a parcel of real estate, where both buyer and seller are informed parties. To be an informed party, most people turn to a licensed, certified, professional appraiser to provide them with the most accurate estimate of the true value of their property.

These are just some information taken from Black Mountain Appraisals

When it comes to selling a house, seller needs a lot of information so as not to lose out in getting a good price for their property.

"If you are planning to sell your home, it might be a wise decision to make a small investment in a professional appraisal. Unless you study real estate values on a day to day basis, like a professional appraiser does, it's difficult for you to get a handle on real estate values. We aren’t talking about how much you have invested in your home, how much you paid for it, or how much you want for it. We’re talking about the true market value of your home, which could really pay off for you in the long run!" Quoted from Black Mountain Appraisals

Read more about Appraisals and the importance of getting an appraisals from Black Mountain Appraisals. This website provides a comprehensive account of appraisals. Being a leading provider of real estate valuations for the mortgage lending marketplace, and with many years of experience in the business, Real Estate Appraisal in Las Vegas NV have a proven track record of reducing lenders time, efforts and costs in managing the appraisal process. Their speciality is to provide appraisals for Primary and Secondary Mortgages, Mortgage Refinancing, Employee Relocation, Private Mortgage Insurance Removal, Estate Planning and Divorce Settlement.

We are always concern about money. Thinking about the cost of appraisals? Increase your knowledge now and Check out the fee now at Real Estate Appraisal in Las Vegas NV.

Adriana Lima

2005-11-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

Discovered at age 13, Adriana more than fulfilled the modeling world's expectations, going on to place second in the Ford Supermodel of the World contest. Her long legs and blue-gray eyes have adorned billboards and print spreads for Armani, Mossimo, XOXO, and Maybelline, and today she is considered to be one of Victoria's Secret's banner models. Now she has another accolade to add to her resume: Adriana has been voted AskMen.com's Most Desirable Woman of 2005.

Monica Bellucci

2005-11-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

It's almost unbelievable to think that only two years ago, Monica was a relative unknown west of the Atlantic. Her major North American debut came in 2003's Tears of the Sun, and her image was forever burnt into the collective male consciousness following roles in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. Monica starred as Magdalen in one of the biggest movies of all time, The Passion of the Christ.

Heidi Klum

2005-11-08T07:07:00.000-08:00

Heidi is probably the most famous supermodel working today. She made her name in the pages of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition and Victoria's Secret catalogs, went on to the covers of pretty much every major fashion publication in the world, and even began dabbling in television work, making cameos in the retired Sex and the City and the now-defunct Spin City. In 2004, she appeared as Ursula Andress in HBO's The Life and Death of Peter Sellers and made headlines when she got engaged to pop star Seal.

Jessica Simpson

2005-11-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Her MTV reality show, Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica, has become such a hit that it's easy to forget that Jessica's former sole claim to fame was as a pop singer. Her third album, In This Skin, was released in the summer of 2003, and Jessica continues to flex her vocal chords in live performances and on the The Nick & Jessica Variety Hour.

Britney Spears

2005-11-06T01:32:00.000-08:00

Paris Hilton

2005-11-05T01:30:00.000-08:00

Aishwarya Rai

2005-11-04T01:12:00.000-08:00

If you know anything about India, you know that the country produces more movies than any other on the planet. Aishwarya is in many of them, making her a star to no fewer than one billion people. Being crowned Miss World 1994 didn't hurt, either. Her black hair and chestnut skin are lovely enough, but those blue eyes make us feel like we're staring into a Bombay beachside sunset. We'd wrap her in a regal sari, place her on a maharajah's throne and serve her every whim, humbly genuflecting to her fantastic charms.

Brigitte Bardot

2005-11-03T04:59:00.000-08:00

Sin City - Shellie

2005-11-02T04:27:00.000-08:00

Sin City - Jessica Alba

2005-11-01T04:11:00.000-08:00

Sienna Miller

2005-10-31T06:14:00.000-08:00

Lucy Alexis Liu

2005-10-30T01:11:00.000-08:00

Madonna

2005-10-29T01:04:00.000-07:00

Tara Reid

2005-10-28T23:31:00.000-07:00

Jessica Alba

2005-10-27T01:51:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Love Hewitt

2005-10-26T10:04:00.000-07:00

Charisma Carpenter

2005-10-25T00:56:00.000-07:00

Alessandra Ambrosio

2005-10-24T00:49:00.000-07:00

Catherine Zeta-Jones

2005-10-23T00:26:00.000-07:00

Rose McGowan

2005-10-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Janet Jackson

2005-10-21T01:07:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Lopez

2005-10-20T01:23:00.000-07:00